Hydrocarbon-engine.



No. 690,6!6. `Pa-te'nt'ed Jan. 7, |902.

' A. D. RICHARDSON.

HYDRGCARBON ENGINE.

I I (Application tiled Feb. 2, 1901. J (nu Modem, 2 sheets-sheet' l.

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No. 690,6lo..

(No Model.)

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` -Patentd 1an. 7, |902.

HYDROCARBON ENGINE.

Application mea Fe'u.2,1fao1.)

' zsheets-sneet z" v @i MW bmg-w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AARON D. RICHARDSON, OF BELOIT, VISCONSIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,610, dated January '7, 1902.

- l Application filed February 2, 1901. Serial No. L15,701. (No model.)

To all Loh/m, t may concern:

Beit known that I, AARON D. RICHARDSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Beloit, Wisconsin, have invented certain new4 and useful Improvements iu Hydrocarbon- Engines, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is

a specification.

It has been heretofore demonstrated by eX- perment that a gas, gasolene, or oil engine will develop more power for a given amount offuel if the same be used under high com.

pression than if it be employed at low compression. Because of the increase in temperature dueto the compression of the mixture, however, it has heretofore not been Apracticable with the ordinary construction of gas-engine to use a degree of compression beyond a certain fixed-point, the mixture tending to ignite prematurely-that is, before the end of the compression-stroke-Whenever too high a degree of compression is employed. Such premature ignitions occur in engines using kerosene or crudeoil at a lower point thanin engines employing gas or gasolene, in consequence of which it is necessary to oporate a kerosene or crude oil engine at a relatively low compression or else to provide some means for keeping the temperature down during compression..

The iirst of the objects ot' my presentinvention is to overcome the above-mentionedsv difficulties by the provision of novel means whereby higher compression can be employed without premature ignition, thus securing higher efficiency, the said means beingconstructed to permita small quantityof water, in the form of spray, to be taken into the cylinder with the explosive mixture during theV it being only necessary to use avquantity .just sui'icient to keep the temperature ofthe explosive mixture below the ignition-point until the end of the compression-stroke is reached. The water being converted into steam when the explosion takes, place aids `in driving the piston on the expansion-stroke,

and the action'of the water in keeping down the temperature,and thereby preventing premature ignitions, makes it possible to use the 'jacket-water at a higher temperature, this also resulting in greater efficiency.

The above, as well as such other objects which will hereinafter appear, I attain by means of: a construction which I have illus- Referring to the construction shown in Figs.

l and 2, it will be seen that into the cylinderhead 5 of `the engine are secured two reserlvoirs 6 and7, one of them being adapted to hold oil and the other water and both being preferably constructed in such a manner as,

Water and the regulating-valves l1 being adjusted at such points as will give just the right quantities proportionately of oil and water, when the suction-valve 12 opens at the beginning of the suction-smoke the air which rushes up through the passager 10 Will draw with it into the cylinder the oil from the outlet-tube 9 of the oil-reservoir 6 and the water from the reservoir 7, the Water being for example, by the provision of an overliow- I OO formed into a spray and mixed with the spray of the more volatile hydrocarbon or oil. The water thus introduced absorbs suticient of the heat to keep the temperature during the compression-stroke below the ignition-point of the mixture. Nhen the explosion takes place, the water is converted into snperheated steam, which after aiding in the expansionstroke passes out at the exhaust with the burned gases. By the provision of the opening 13 and the thumb-piece 14 on the stem 15 of the valve 11 it is possible to adj ust the amount of water-vapor admitted into the cylinder to just the point required to prevent premature ignition, so that the apparatus can be operated up to the highest degree of practical efficiency.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, I have employed a twin-reservoir device in which the oil-chamber G and the water-chamber 7 are combined in a single casing 16, provided with two separate tubes 9, opening into the suction-passage 10, and separate valves 11, all, operatively considered, substantially like the corresponding parts shown in Figs. l and 2. By the use of the twin-reservoir arrangement the cost of the device is considerably reduced. The two tube-openings 9 are arranged more closely together, so that there is a better mixture formed between the water-vapor and oil, and there is but a single threaded opening into the suction-passage instead of two, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. A hydrocarbon-engine comprising the combination of an engine-cylinder, a reservoir containing a supply of water located adjacent to said cylinder and attached thereto, an opening or passage establishing communication between said reservoir and the inlet `to said engine-cylinder, means for maintainingaconstant level ot' water in said reservoir, and means adjacent to said reservoir for controlling the passage of water from the said reservoir into said communicating passage, the said devices being arranged so that the suction of the piston of the cylinder draws the water into the cylinder past said last-inentioned means, substantially as described.

2. Ahydrocarbon-enginehavingacylinder, a reservoir attached to said cylinder, containing a supply of water, an opening or passage establishing communication between said reservoir and said cylinder, means for maintaining the water in said reservoir at a constant level, a valve controlling the opening into said communicating passage, and means for adjustably fixing said valve in open position whereby to govern the amount of water admitted to the cylinder in proportion to the degree of compression employed, said parts being so arranged as to permit the suction in the engine-cylinder to draw the water into the same, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a hydrocarbonengine cylinder of a twin-reservoir device, comprising a casing, an oil-chamber, and a water-chamber in said casing, and means for permitting the oil and water to enter the cylinder. substantially as described.

4. The combination with a hydrocarbonengine cylinder of a twin-reservoir device, comprising a casing, an oil-chamber, and a water-chamber in said casing and separate means for permitting the oil and water to enter the cylinder, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a hydrocarbonengine cylinder of a twin-reservoir device comprising a casing, an oil-chamber, and a Water-chamber in said casing, a tube through which oil from said oil-chamber may enter i the cylinder, a tube through which water from said water-chamber may enter the cylinder, said tubes formed with their outlets adjacent, and means for controlling the openings of the said tubes, substantially as described.

(3. The combination with a hydrocarbonengine cylinder of a twin-reservoir device comprising a casing, an oilchamber; and a water-chamber in said casing, a tube through which oil from said oil-chamber may enter the cylinder, a tube through which water from said water-chamber may enter the cylinder, and means for controlling the openings of the said tubes, substantially as described.

` AARON D. RICHARDSON.

In presence olf- J. B. LAMBERT, I. C. BROOKS. 

